site.btaEnvironment Ministry Finds No Evidence of Pollution in Bulgaria's Territorial Waters in Black Sea

There is no evidence of pollution in Bulgaria's territorial waters in the Black Sea after the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine was destroyed on June 6, the Environment and Water Ministry in Sofia reported on Wednesday. The information is based on latest analyses, including a weather forecast until June 24 made by the Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Monitoring Centre at the Naval Academy in Varna, as well as satellite imagery. Data about the sea area off the Ukrainian port of Odessa, provided by the Space Research and Technology Institute with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, do not contain such evidence either.

The Environment and Water Ministry is carrying out constant, comprehensive monitoring of possible environmental damage in Bulgaria's territorial waters in the Black Sea, the press release said.

On June 20, the Black Sea Basin Directorate and the Varna Regional Laboratory of the Executive Agency for the Environment carried out their weekly monitoring of the quality of Black Sea coastal waters off Durankulak, Shabla and Kaliakra. The session used additional indicators to examine the potential impact of the water from Ukraine's Dnieper River on the Black Sea.

The monitoring sites were chosen for their accessibility from the sea, the direction of the predominant sea currents, and available bathymetric (sea depth) data. The experts watch for possible pollution from petroleum products, metals, the radionuclides caesium-137 and tritium, and most recently, pesticides and other additional factors. None of the indicators has reached an unsafe level.

The experts are monitoring not only coastal waters but also water currents farther from the shore. The effort is coordinated with the Tourism Ministry with an eye on ensuring a normal tourist season, the Environment and Water Ministry said. Test samples are taken frequently enough to allow an objective assessment of the present state of the sea water. The results are provided to the competent authorities.

The Environment and Water Ministry shares information concerning potential water pollution in the Black Sea with the authorities of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania on a daily basis.

Any signs of pollution along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast can be reported to the Environment and Water Ministry via its green telephone numbers 0887 088 440 or 02/9888205, or using the email address nccw@moew.government.bg. Alerts can also be submitted at the green telephone numbers of the Varna Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (0884 290 634 or 052/634 582), the Burgas Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (0889 096 577 or 056/813 212), and the Black Sea Basin Directorate in Varna (0886 406 816).